side, from where things were a year ago,
to six months ago, to three months ago,
it's been fascinating to watch."
Also fascinating, he says, is the
response from internal staff about what's
possible - in additional to external reps.
"People can't believe how real it is,"
he says. "You can see the fibers in the
textiles, and you can gain appreciation
for what that silhouette does for the
body. It's very interesting for us at this
time. We still don't really know what
the home run is going to be in terms
of applications, but there are so many
different ways to make this work, and
each one offers a pretty substantial cost
benefit."
The use of augmented reality, however,
changes the picture completely.
"If things are just humming along
and status quo, it's very difficult to get
people to even have an open mind to
making changes," Lefkowitz says. "But
when things are tough, there's more
opportunity to bring new things to the
table ... . We're probably early, but within
the next year or two, I believe we'll see a
lot of different AR applications. Seeing
the rate of iteration on the Code & Craft
30
STORES April 2018
'DELIGHTED' BY THE EXPERIENCE
With Maggy London as a case study,
Code & Craft is continuing to hone
its offerings. Yip foresees a day that
there will absolutely be an off-the-shelf
solution featuring its photo-realistic
scanning capabilities, as well as custom
solutions for individual companies.
Between now and then, however, the
industry might need to do some catching
up. There is still confusion about the
difference between augmented reality
and virtual reality, and there is still the
thought that working with augmented
reality is going to be "complicated, and a
very tech-heavy experience," Lefkowitz
says. "And it's not. Most people are
surprised by how simple it is, and sort of
delighted by the experience."
The scanning process used by Code
& Craft is based on photogrammetry,
a longstanding technique that creates
depth by cross-referencing similar points
on images; it has been used in surveying
and mapping. As for the gaming industry
connection, Yip says, there's been a lot
of interest in scanning people's faces
and clothing so they can appear more
realistically. Code & Craft photographs
assets and uses gaming best practices to
optimize them for mobile applications.
There is movement, too, related to
how such applications could be used
in product lifecycle management. Part
of the challenge there, Yip says, is
discovering the cost effectiveness of
multiple scans with different iterations;
potential solutions will come with
digitizing materials such as fabric
swatches, he says, and being able to
render them onto a base model.
For now, however, when Yip gives
a demonstration of what's possible in
fashion, the number one question he gets
in return is, "Can I try it on?"
"My response to that is, 'No. But
what is it you're actually trying to do?'"
Yip says. "That is a great backdrop for
a conversation about understanding
the ultimate potential of this type of
technology. Obviously, fit is important.
But fit isn't a complete barrier to
somebody buying something. Otherwise,
ecommerce wouldn't exist. That's not to
say we can't get a better sense of fit. But
this is also about giving the consumer
or the audience better information to
make a better decision. A lot of it is
about education, and a lot of it is around
realigning expectations."
Yip and Lefkowitz both speak of
enjoying the process, and exploring just
what the future might be. As a startup,
Yip is grateful for the partnership Maggy
London has provided, as well as excited
about his company's ability to be flexible
with clients overall. Lefkowitz notes
how early the two companies are on the
timeline; it's his hope that, when the
industry is ready to exchange augmented
reality samples for physical ones, Maggy
London and Code & Craft will be "at
the front of the line."
"Being a startup, our advantage is
the ability to iterate and change very
quickly," Yip says. "It also requires
a certain amount of trust in the
relationship, and knowing that it's not
just about getting it right today, but
about getting it right tomorrow. That's
a large part of the relationship we're
in with Maggy London. We're in the
feedback loop stage now, so we can get
it right and then release it in a broader
sense."
That, however, make take another
beer or two - all in the name of the
ideal fit.
Fiona Soltes, a freelancer based near Nashville,
Tenn., loves a good bargain almost as much as
she loves a good story.
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